Florida Gators Pick Up In-State Verbal from Mary Kate Kelley for 2021-22 Season

Photo Courtesy: Heather Kelley

NEW COMMIT: The University of Florida has received their fourth verbal commitment for the fall of 2021, this time from in-state standout Mary Kate Kelley of Jacksonville.

Primarily a backstroker, Kelley does her club swimming with Episcopal AmberJax and owns a pair of Summer Juniors standards. She raced three events at Junior Nationals this past summer after placing fourth in the 100m back and fifth in the 200m back at Gainesville Sectionals. Last winter, she finaled in the 100 back at Juniors East before going on to win that event at the Florida Spring Championships where she also earned silver in the 200 back.

A current junior at Jacksonville Episcopal High School, the USA Swimming Scholastic All-American is a four-time Florida 1A State Championship finalist. Kelley grabbed bronze in both the 100 back and 100 fly as a sophomore after placing eighth in the 100 back and 13th in the 200 IM during her freshman season.

Photo Courtesy: Mary Kate Kelley Instagram (@mk.kelley)

Her best times include:

50 back – 25.58
100 back – 54.30
200 back – 1:58.61
50 fly – 25.61
100 fly – 55.69

Kelley will add valuable depth to Florida’s backstroke training group. Even with nearly two years of club swimming still to go before suiting up for the Gators at the start of the 2021-22 season, Kelley is already nearing scoring range at the SEC Championships as it took a 53.75/1:56.25 to place in both backstroke events last season.

She will also join Micayla Cronk, Brooke Zettel, and Georgia Bates in Gainesville as a member of the class of 2025.

If you have a commitment to share, please send a photo and quote via email to hs@swimmingworld.com.

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